Château Pontet-Canet is an 81-hectare wine estate located in Pauillac in Gironde. Located in AOC Pauillac, it is ranked fifth grand cru in the official classification of Bordeaux wines of 1855.
The history of the castle dates back to the 18th century. The property has known only three different families of owners throughout its history. The first was that of Jean-François de Pontet who was grand squire to the King of France and governor of the Médoc. He gave the first part of his name to the castle, the name Canet corresponding to the locality on which other plots were located. The Pontet family remained the owners until 1865. This date was that of the takeover by Herman Cruse. The Cruse family was a wealthy family of Bordeaux merchants. They owned several prestigious properties such as Château Rauzan-Ségla or Château Giscours.
The château's vines are spread over three plots and are rooted in gravelly günz hilltops reaching 30 m in height. The subsoil is clay-limestone. The estate's grape varieties are 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot. The main plot is 50 hectares in one piece.
Wine
The wine matures for 16 to 18 months in French oak barrels, partially new (up to 60% new barrels). In the high-density vineyard (9,000 vines/ha), the average age of the vines is 45 years old, the oldest vines are around 75-80 years old and the youngest are planted from 5 years old.
Château Pontet-Canet is the first estate among the Grands Crus Classés of the Médoc to be certified organic farming and moreover in biodynamic farming. It has since been joined by other estates such as Château Latour, Château Durfort-Vivens, Château Ferrière and Château Palmer.
